Energy Conversion and climate change

.docx

School

Red Rocks Community College *

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Course

155

Subject

Geography

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by AgentIronOtter34

We use energy in almost every aspect of our lives, from the production/transportation of the goods we consume to the use of utilities like gas and electricity in our homes and businesses. Most everything we do and use in our daily lives is the product of energy used to do work. This energy can come from a variety of sources, whether that be renewable sources like solar or hydro or less sustainable sources like fossil fuels (EIA, n.d.). When using an energy source to generate energy we lose a great deal of the energy produced to the environment due to it being transferred to another form such as heat. This means in the process of converting energy sources like fossil fuels into forms of energy we waste some of the energy made due to the inefficiency of the processes used to generate it. This is an issue for our climate crisis because a majority of the energy sources we use are fossil fuels (EIA, n.d.) which emit greenhouse gasses that are warming the Earth's climate. So we are not only wasting energy in our inefficient processes to generate it, but the energy sources we use have byproducts that are harmful to the planet. There is an equity gap when it comes to certain communities suffering the consequences of climate change. For starters, “ Low-income people, people of color, and linguistically isolated communities are more likely than the national average to live near power plants that burn fossil fuel”, putting them at greater risk of being exposed to harmful pollutants (EPA, 2023). Lower income communities also face more difficulty being able to access clean technologies, making energy more costly (EPA, 2023). These same communities also face more struggles when impacted by environmental disasters caused by climate change as they have less resources to prepare, leading them to feel the impacts more than more affluent communities (EPA, 2023). I think the biggest step to solving the issues surrounding energy and climate change is to look to big manufacturers and policy makers in our country and across the world. As a whole we need to call them to action to modernize infrastructure on a large scale (especially in underserved communities), take steps to bring down costs of greener energy technologies, and give voices to the people in terms of energy planning (EPA, 2023). Environmental Protection Agency. (2023, November 16). EPA. https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-energy Environmental Protection Agency. (2023, August 14). EPA Report Shows Disproportionate Impacts of Climate Change on Socially Vulnerable Populations in the United States . EPA. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-report-shows-disproportionate-impacts-climate-change- socially-vulnerable Frequently asked questions (faqs) - U.S. energy information administration (EIA) . Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (n.d.). https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3

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